Song:Trav'lin Light
Album:The Complete Capitol Recordings
In the 1930s, Paul Whiteman was known as The King of Jazz. He was the most popular bandleader of the time. But with the rise of swing in the late 30s, he was pretty much a has been. So he signed with Capitol Records when they opened in 1942. And this one off 1942 single featuring the legendary Billie Holiday was Whiteman's final chart hit. The problem with Whiteman was despite his nickname, he wasn't a jazz musician nor an innovator. He was a very good marketer. And he deserves a lot of credit for giving Bing Crosby to the world. But by the late 30s, guys like Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller made him obsolete. So as a last resort, he signed with the fledgling Capitol Records. Their first single was Whiteman's recording of I Found A New Baby. So Capitol co-owner Johnny Mercer wanted to make a big splash with a big hit. He found out that Billie Holiday was in Los Angeles. She just had a huge hit with God Bless The Child. He convinced her to record with Whiteman. I assume he promised to write a song for her. Mercer wrote Trav'lin Light with Whiteman band members Trummy Young and Jimmy Mundy. Mundy also arranged the recording. Because Billie was under contract to Columbia, Mercer credited Billie as Lady Day on the label. The trombone solo was by Skip Layton. It worked. The record was a big hit. It topped the R&B chart and reached #23 on the Hit Parade. It turned out to be Whiteman's final big hit. This comp has all his Capitol recordings. Trav'lin Light also appears on some Billie Holiday comps. Whiteman turned to radio and by the late 40s he was a regular on TV. He was musical director for ABC in the 50s. Here's a video for Trav'lin light by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra featuring Billie Holiday.
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